1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of internet routing systems, and in particular, to a system that provides routing information to internet gateways.
2. Statement of the Problem
The internet is a well-known communications system that routes packets based on internet addresses. In a typical internet communication, a user exchanges internet packets with an internet gateway over a local telephone line or local area network. The internet gateway transfers the packets to the internet where internet routers forward the packets based on the internet address. The packets matriculate through a series of routers until they reach a destination server or another internet gateway.
The internet is supplanting conventional long distance telephone lines to create new services for modem, voice, facsimile, and video communications. For example, an internet facsimile service could deploy internet gateways in London and New York. A London customer transmits the facsimile to the London internet gateway using a local telephone call. The London internet gateway transfers internet packets that contain the facsimile over the internet. The packets are addressed to the New York internet gateway. The New York internet gateway receives the internet packets and places a local telephone call in New York. The facsimile is reconstructed in the New York gateway from the packets and transmitted to the destination over the New York telephone line. Using this new service, the customer avoids the cost of an international telephone call between London and New York.
The above-described service can be extended to other types of communications where the internet can provide the transport between networks. Unfortunately, it may not be feasible for the service provider to deploy internet gateways in all desired geographic regions. The service provider must then turn away business where an internet gateway is not available. In the above example, the service provider could handle facsimile communications between London and New York, but could not handle facsimile communications between London and Tokyo.
The service provider may also lack the processing capacity to handle telephone numbers. The ability to process a large database of telephone numbers is a complex and expensive. For example, a new area code causes massive changes to the processing logic in the public telephone system. Even the task of determining if the service provider has the internet gateways to handle the call can be complex as the number of internet gateways increases in a changing telephone numbering environment.
Telephone number processing has evolved into a complex system that handles enhanced service calls. One example is the “800” type call where call routing is dynamically programmable. It will not be economically feasible for many smaller internet service providers to manage and deploy such enhanced service logic.
At present, internet services would be improved by systems and methods for providing internet gateways and internet routing support. Routing support could include telephone number processing and internet address selection.